Walking events on the calendar

Three British walking campaigns have now fixed spring and early-summer dates, with events scheduled in Lancashire, Worcestershire and west Wales over May and June. (lancashiretelegraph.co.uk) Lancashire Mind’s Summer Solstice Walking Challenge will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Burnley and on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Blackburn, according to Lancashire Mind and the Lancashire Telegraph. The charity says walkers will go from sunrise to sunset at Burnley and Pendle Athletics Track and at Witton Park athletics arena. (lancashiremind.org.uk) Lancashire Mind says the solstice event was created to raise money and awareness for local mental health support, and the charity’s Andrea Pollard said she first came up with the idea in 2022. The charity’s event page lists a £50 registration fee and says entrants can use a discount code that takes that cost from their fundraising total. (lancashiremind.org.uk) In Worcestershire and Herefordshire, the 2026 “Walk This May Challenge” is set to run from Wednesday, May 1, through Thursday, May 14. Organizers say the programme includes free walks lasting 10 to 90 minutes on easy ground at a relaxed pace. (herefordshire.gov.uk) The challenge is being led by Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council. Worcestershire County Council says its health walks are free, accessible, welcoming to all and reachable on foot or by local public transport. (activehw.co.uk) (worcestershire.gov.uk) A separate west Wales event, “Walk the Path for Wellbeing,” has expanded in 2026 from one day to two and from one county to three. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority says the challenge will run on Sunday, May 10, and Monday, May 11, across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. (pembrokeshirecoast.wales) The national park authority says a reserve weekend of May 17 and 18 has been set aside in case conditions force a change. It says the event is open to communities, workplaces, families and friends and is intended to promote active travel and wellbeing along the west Wales coast. (westerntelegraph.co.uk) (pembrokeshirecoast.wales) The cluster of announcements lands ahead of National Walking Month in May, when local councils and activity groups typically push free or low-cost events to get beginners moving. In Worcestershire alone, the county council says regular health walks already run for at least 10 minutes and no longer than 90 minutes, with volunteer leaders trained to lead them safely. (activehw.co.uk) (worcestershire.gov.uk) Together, the events show how local walking programmes are being packaged in different ways: a sunrise-to-sunset fundraiser in Lancashire, a two-week beginner-friendly county challenge in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and a two-day coastal route across three Welsh counties. The next dates on that calendar are May 1 for “Walk This May” and May 10 for “Walk the Path for Wellbeing.” (lancashiremind.org.uk) (herefordshire.gov.uk) (pembrokeshirecoast.wales)